News

South, West Maui budget meetings set for Oct. 15-16

Local News October 13, 2026

Maui County residents can provide input on the county’s fiscal year 2028 budget during community meetings Oct. 15 in Kihei and Oct. 16 in Lahaina. The South Maui meeting will run from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Kihei Community Center. The West Maui meeting will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Lahaina Civic Center Social Hall. The meetings are part of a series hosted by Mayor Richard Bissen and his administration to gather public input as the county develops its budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2027. Written and verbal comments will be accepted. Additional meetings ...

Jury backs extended prison terms in Maui officer murder case

Local News October 13, 2026

Jurors recommended extended prison terms Monday for Clembert Alii Kaneholani, who was convicted last week of first-degree murder in the Aug. 15, 2025, shooting death of Maui Police Department Officer Suzanne O. The same 12-member jury that convicted Kaneholani, 39, returned special verdicts ...

DLNR schedules Maui hearings on conservation district rule changes

Local News October 13, 2026

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will hold public hearings on Maui on Oct. 28 and 29 on proposed changes to rules governing land use and permitting within Hawaii’s Conservation District. The Oct. 28 hearing will run from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Lahaina Intermediate School. The Oct. 29 hearing will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Kahului Community Center. The proposed amendments to Hawaii Administrative Rules Chapter 13-5 would update rules covering approximately 2 million acres of public and private conservation lands statewide. Changes would address conservation criteria, ...

Free renter’s rights training set for Oct. 21

Local News October 13, 2026

Maui Housing Hui will offer a free renter’s rights training from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 21 at Lahaina Brewing Co. at Kula Malu, 30 Kupaoa St., Suite 101, Pukalani. The training is open to tenants and landlords and will cover housing rights, disaster recovery responsibilities, ways to address housing issues and resources for navigating landlord-tenant concerns. Free dinner and child care will be provided. For more information, email mauihousinghui@gmail.com. Editor's note: This report has been updated to correct the date of the training.

Lahaina man gets 60 years in child sexual assault case

Local News October 13, 2026

A 49-year-old Lahaina man was sentenced to 60 years in prison Monday for sexually assaulting a child over a period of nearly four years, beginning in 2014. Roberto Omar Morales Andrade was sentenced in Maui Circuit Court after a jury found him guilty of eight counts of first-degree sexual assault and eight counts of third-degree sexual assault following a two-week trial in July. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning a unanimous verdict on all counts. At trial, the jury heard evidence Morales Andrade used a position of trust to isolate and repeatedly sexually ...

Motorcyclist killed in Wailea crash Sunday night

Local News October 13, 2026

A 44-year-old Wailuku man died in a motorcycle wreck on Wailea Alanui Drive in Wailea on Sunday night, according to the Maui Police Department. The crash occurred at about 9:36 p.m. on Wailea Alanui Drive, just south of Okolani Drive. The preliminary investigation found the man was going north on a 2015 Harley-Davidson when he lost control of the motorcycle, veered to the right and struck a curb. He was ejected from the motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the man was not wearing a helmet. Speed is suspected to have been a factor in the crash. The ...